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On her very first day of student teaching at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, N.Y., Martha Strever pushed, pulled and pounded on the school’s door, which was locked. No one came. Where was everybody? It was, after all, the first day of school.

It turned out everybody was exactly where they were supposed to be: inside, having entered through the school’s front entrance. Strever had been knocking on a side door. Flustered but undeterred, she not only found her way inside, she also found her life’s calling.

Strever’s sentences are punctuated with laughs when she recounts the story to

Paraprofessionals and school-related personnel are often overlooked because of their support roles. They are the last ones hired and often the first ones fired when budgets get tight. This certainly seems true right now as the Trump administration withholds nearly $7 billion in education funds, effective July 1, which has hamstrung summer school programs, hindered English language support, halted professional development this summer, and left before- and after-school programs in limbo for the coming school year.

Paraprofessionals are key employees in all these programs. For example, in Alabama

Members,

After our September 29th guidance advising you to not sign the District's liability agreement for employee-assigned laptops until our concerns were addressed, we have secured the following revisions to the SDP liability form that will protect you from unfair imposition of costs or other discipline: 

● The agreement cover page will be revised to make it clear that staff will not be charged for stolen or lost laptops when a police report or serious incident report is filed; to allow for lost or stolen laptop replacements to be delivered to schools at the Office of Information Technology’s

Members: Don't miss our Solidarity Swag Sale, now with PFT logo mesh bags! Get the merch you need to show off your union pride. One order per school please, which is to be submitted by the Building Representative.

All orders must be placed by March 31st.

You will be notified when the order is ready for pickup. Exact cash only. Merchandise is limited. 

#PublicFundsPublicSchools #FundOurFacilities

The PFT calls on legislators at all levels of government to commit to and prioritize an investment agenda that is laser-focused on ensuring that the urgent needs of our young people are met.

On June 16, 2025, organized labor unions including the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, SEIU Pennsylvania State Council, and AFSCME Council 13 signed a joint letter to Governor Josh Shapiro expressing our unified opposition to private school voucher and tax credit programs. Read our full letter here.